Photo & Design

How to Completely Uninstall Adobe InDesign on Mac

To remove Adobe InDesign completely, use the uninstaller within the Creative Cloud desktop app under Apps. Simply dragging the app to the Trash leaves behind various support folders, license data, and background services.

Last updated: October 31, 20264 min read

Remove Adobe InDesign and everything it leaves behind

Adobe InDesign data usually takes 1 GB – 20 GB on a Mac. The free scan shows the exact size on your Mac before you change anything.

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Free scan · No account · Nothing is deleted without your OK · Moves to the Trash first · macOS 14+

Application: Adobe InDesign
Typical data size: 1 GB – 20 GB
Category: Photo & Design
File Location: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/InDesign

Adobe InDesign has its own uninstaller

Quit the app completely (⌘+Q in the menu bar).
Uninstall it from the Creative Cloud desktop app (Apps > the app's menu > Uninstall); removing the Creative Cloud app itself needs Adobe's separate Creative Cloud Uninstaller.
Remove the folders Adobe InDesign left behind, listed in the table below.
Empty the Trash to free up the space.

Everything Adobe InDesign keeps on your Mac

9 locations. Tick each one as you remove it; back up anything marked as your data first.

~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/InDesign App data · InDesign settings, presets and recovery data per version Yes, once the app is gone~/Library/Caches/Adobe InDesign Cache · InDesign SavedData cache and crash recovery files Back up first: your data~/Library/Preferences/Adobe InDesign Settings · preferences and default settings per version Yes, settings reset/Library/Application Support/Adobe Other · Adobe components, licensing and libraries used by all Adobe apps Only if no other app uses it~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/OOBE App data · Creative Cloud sign-in and licensing data Only if no other app uses it/Applications/Utilities/Adobe Creative Cloud Other · Creative Cloud desktop app and its uninstaller Only if no other app uses it/Library/LaunchAgents/com.adobe.AdobeCreativeCloud.plist Background item · starts Creative Cloud at login Only if no other app uses it/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.adobe.acc.installer.v2.plist Background item · Creative Cloud installer background job Only if no other app uses it/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.adobe.acc.installer.v2 Other · privileged helper that installs and updates Adobe apps Only if no other app uses it

Locations are the standard macOS folders Adobe InDesign uses; some appear only after you use the matching feature.

What remains after dragging Adobe InDesign to the Trash

Specific to Adobe InDesign

Dragging the app icon to the Trash does not remove associated data folders or user documents. Settings, presets, and recovery data remain in Application Support and Preferences, while SavedData and crash recovery files stay in the cache. Background helpers like Core Sync and the Creative Cloud launch agent continue running until the Creative Cloud app itself is removed via its own separate uninstaller.

Background items: Creative Cloud installs background services such as Adobe Desktop Service, Core Sync and the Creative Cloud launch agents, which stay until Creative Cloud itself is removed.
License: The subscription is tied to your Adobe ID; signing out of Creative Cloud frees the activation for another computer.
Account and sync: InDesign runs on an Adobe ID subscription through Creative Cloud.

Preparing to uninstall Adobe InDesign

Because the app links to external images and fonts, you should package layouts to ensure they remain complete. Custom PDF and print presets should also be exported manually since they reside in library folders. Finally, sign out of Creative Cloud to free the subscription activation for another computer.

Package documents via File > Package to save fonts and linksExport custom PDF and print presetsSign out of Creative Cloud to release the licenseQuit the app before removing any files

0 of 4 done

By hand or with OptiClear

	By hand	With OptiClear
Places to check	9 folders, one by one	One scan
File sizes	You look them up yourself	Shown for every item
Removing the wrong thing	Easy to delete the wrong folder	Goes to the Trash first, so it can be restored
Cost	Free	Scan is free; cleaning needs Pro (yearly plan has a 7-day free trial)

See it working

OptiClear — Scan overview — every category on one screen — Scan overview — every category on one screen

OptiClear — Privacy audit: what each app has been allowed to reach — Privacy audit: what each app has been allowed to reach

OptiClear — Large and aging files, ranked by what they cost you — Large and aging files, ranked by what they cost you

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Frequently asked questions

Not all of them. Folders marked “Back up first: your data” hold your own Adobe InDesign data: back them up before removing them. Items marked “Only if no other app uses it” are also used by other apps from the same company; keep them while any of those apps is installed. Folders marked “Yes, settings reset” hold settings, which return to their defaults. Items marked “Yes, once the app is gone” only matter while Adobe InDesign is installed, so remove them after the app.

Why is there still an Adobe folder in /Library/Application Support?

This folder contains shared components and licensing used by all Adobe apps and must be kept if any others are installed.

Where are my actual project documents stored?

Documents and linked images are stored wherever you chose to save them and are not deleted when the app is removed.